Jepak partner Rayyan intended to reveal Najib and Rosmah’s role in solar hybrid project

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 17): In a turn of events, bad blood arose between the representatives of Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd, a transport company that was pitching for a RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project back in 2016, when one of them attempted to take over the project entirely.

Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah had a misunderstanding with business partner and managing director of Jepak, Saidi Abang Samsudin, and therefore attempted to take over the solar hybrid project completely.

This was revealed by former education ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Madinah Mohamad (pictured), the sixth witness in Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s graft trial, which entered its seventh day.

Madinah retired from the position on Sept 2, 2016. However, Rayyan continued to send her text messages from November 2017 up to May 2018, the witness said.

“Rayyan accused Saidi of misdoings in the solar hybrid projects such as changing the terms of the contract, making false claims and cheating several parties of their money by using this project as an excuse,” Madinah said.

According to Madinah, Rayyan made these assertions so that she would help arrange a meeting between him and the prime minister at the time, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, with the intention of taking over the project from Saidi and Jepak.

“Rayyan also told me that he would reveal the involvement of ‘PM’ and ‘Ma’am’ in the solar hybrid project to the opposition of the time if I did not help him with his request,” Madinah said.

Madinah had previously said she understood ‘PM’ to be prime minister or Najib, while ‘Ma’am’ referred to Rosmah.

“Rayyan had also sent me screenshots of Whatsapp messages to show the involvement of Datuk Rizal Mansor (Rosmah's aide) and ‘Ma’am’ in the proposal of the project and that he would reveal these if I had not helped him in taking over the project from Saidi. I sent these screenshots through my mobile phone to the investigating officer,” the witness said.

Following her retirement from the Education ministry, Madinah was appointed Auditor General from February 2017 to 2019.

As she was Auditor General at the time, Madinah said she instructed her officers to audit the payment from the Education Ministry to Jepak given that Rayyan had previously told her via a text message that the payments were not organised. The audit was carried out in the first quarter of 2018.

Rosmah is facing charges of soliciting RM187.5 million from Jepak between January and April 2016, and allegedly receiving RM5 million and RM1.5 million in 2016 and 2017.

Click here for more property stories